"Ow! Fuck!"

"Harry? You alright?"

Harry flinched at another sharp band of pain, the echo of it flickering in and out of his body. It was like… "I think… Fuck."

Hermione and Ron both turned to look at him in concern. Ron was halfway to reaching out an arm towards him when Harry shook his head. "No, it's not… it's not me."

Hermione blinked and then her eyes widened. "Hangover again?"

"No. It's…" Harry paused and tried to focus on the aftershock of the phantom pain, sucking in a sharp breath. "It's… Whoever my soulmate is… I think they got shot."

Ron's eyes widened. "Mate, you sure? Like shot with a spell? Or a bullet?"

Harry shook his head slowly, feeling it more than ever. The pain flared up again, distinct but not. He hadn't been the one shot but… "I think… With an arrow."

"First it's nausea and now it's… shot with an arrow. You sure, Harry?" Hermione asked, tilting her head in confusion. "No one uses bows anymore."

"Bows?" Ron asked, looking between them before shaking his head. "Are those muggle weapons?"

"Yeah. They're the kind of weapons that people used in the medieval ages though," Hermione started, sitting down on her desk. The three of them were in her office and Harry saw Hermione glance around it again, like she still couldn't believe she was the Minister of Magic. "No wizard or witch used them during that time and now…"

"I got used to all the hangover headaches and migraines from my soulmate but now… Being shot with an arrow?"

"You sure, Harry?" Ron asked, reaching out to curl his fingers with Hermione.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," Harry offered, rubbing his right shoulder that still ached with ghostly pain. "It's not spell pain. I'd know that. It's not gonna help though."

Hermione sighed. "No. It's one person out of the six billion who live on this planet. Wizard or witch, muggle or not…"

Harry shrugged and walked over to the door. "I just wish I knew where they were. Being shot with an arrow is not…"

"Does it hurt as much as the cruciatus curse?" Ron asked faintly.

"No. But given the lack of any other pain in my soulmate's life… at least any pain like this… It's gonna hurt them. A lot."

"For Merlin's sake…" Harry flinched as he felt more of the ghostly pain. This time it was the phantom sensation of hunger, extreme hunger that he hadn't felt since he had been living with the Dursley's and before he had learned he was a wizard. His whole body trembled with it before the sensation weakened, settling, like his soulmate was getting used to it. Harry swore under his breath and his heart ached in his chest at the thought of it.

He poked his head out of his own office and peered over at the bullpen, taking in every auror. "Does anyone know of anyone who's been shot with an arrow?"

Ron twitched in his seat, his eyes narrowing with an unasked question. Harry shook his head and mouthed later to his friend. No one else reacted and no one else knew of anyone who fit the description.

Red hot lines of pain flared all the way down his back and Harry groaned, getting up from bed in the middle of the night and beginning to pace. "Torture. What the fuck is happening to you?"

Shooting, stabbing, more hunger and thirst was quickly followed by even more torture over the years. And in one highlighted hour, Harry experienced what he thought was pain from a shark attack. Though… the phantom teeth sinking into his side could have been anything. It could have even been a werewolf attack but… He swore and ran a hand through his hair as the pain receded.

His soulmate had already been tortured, shot with an arrow, shot with bullets, starved, branded with a hot metal iron and Merlin knew what else. At least he knew his soulmate was older than 13 and older than 21. The soulmate connection never started before a person or their mate turned 13 and given the multiple hangover headaches he had felt over the years… His soulmate had to be older than 21. He hoped they were anyway. He knew some people let their kids drink before they were 21.

"You'd better hope your soulmate is a witch or a wizard, Potter," Draco muttered, clinking glasses with him as they sat in one of Draco's many offices. Harry stood at the window of it, glancing out at Starling City, watching as the sun began to fall on Christmas Eve.

"And why is that, Malfoy?" Harry asked idly, peering over at his former rival turned friend.

"Uh, are we living in the same world where you're the boy who lived?" Draco asked, rolling his eyes at the title. "Your soulmate is going to know what you've been through. Do you want to come to that Christmas party that I was invited to? The one at the Queen Mansion? They're a bunch of muggles but they are the people to know in this city."

"That looked and sounded like it took a lot for you to acknowledge," Harry offered, smiling a little.

Draco flipped him off and Harry laughed.

Harry sighed and turned around to face Draco fully. "I've considered that. I don't care if they're magical or not. I just want…"

"You said the pain had lessened over the past year or so."

"I said it had lessened. It's more like…" Harry trailed off, pondering what he had felt over the past five and a half years. "It's more like my soulmate has gotten used to it. Or gotten better at avoiding it, like they had training or something."

Draco blinked.

"Yeah, I'll come if only to take my mind off of having to join you this week as a favor," Harry retorted, grinning at Draco.

"Hey, you agreed. Queen Industries is one of those businesses that I might take an interest in."

Oliver looked around at the various people who had come to the Queen mansion for their annual Christmas party, seeing suits and ties and dresses of varying colors all around him. He spotted Thea with her boyfriend or friend or whatever he was off in the corner. He spotted Laurel and Tommy walk in and was about to walk over to talk to them when someone ran into him. The bump to his shoulder was rough, only a small twinge of pain compared to other hurts in the past.

The guy's eyes immediately widened as he rocked back on the heels of his feet, running a hand through messy black hair. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't see you."

Oliver took in the guy in front of him, seeing bright green eyes, a strangely shaped scar on his forehead and that hair of his. Those eyes though… he'd never seen that shade of green before or eyes that bright. The English accent was also something that drew his attention. None of the people here were British though that guy with the silvery blond hair was. Oliver had heard his mother call out to him earlier in the evening but he had already forgotten his name. Just another one of his mother's wealthy friends in the city. Or a friend of his father's, he supposed. "It's alright, man. I didn't exactly see you either."

The guy grinned faintly and looked him over, lifting an eyebrow. "My fault really. I tend to step lightly. Name's Harry."

"Oliver. Are you enjoying the party?"

Harry twitched and searched his face, staying silent for a moment. It let Oliver look him over too, seeing the well tailored suit on the guy's body, the faint hints of facial hair. Harry was either Oliver's age or older, maybe as much as five years older. Oliver was 27 years old but this guy looked to be at least 30 years old. Oliver certainly didn't recognize the guy from before he had gone on a cruise with his father and not come back for five years.

Harry was as tall as Oliver, maybe an inch or two taller, broad shouldered, and lean. Built like a runner. Long hair that was pulled back now that might have reached down to his shoulders.

"I am, I think," Harry finally answered, dipping his chin in a nod. "You?"

Oliver shrugged, thoughts going to the copycat archer that was running around the city these days. He wondered where the guy was, wondered… He saw Tommy pull Laurel into a corner of the room, watched them kiss, and turned back to Harry, who had followed his gaze with his own eyes.

"Former girlfriend or boyfriend?" Harry idly asked, gesturing to where Tommy and Laurel were.

Oliver winced before crossing his arms. "Best friend and former girlfriend."

"Ah. That kind of awkward then."

"You can say that again," Oliver remarked, sighing. "Who did you come with again?"

"Came with my friend and former rival," Harry answered, smiling faintly and gesturing over to the blond guy who was currently talking to Moira. "Your mother invited us."

"All the way across the ocean?"

"I was in the city for business," Harry said, tilting his head in thought. "Draco wanted to make sure his mother's business was running smoothly and his soulmate wanted to see the city. Or at least the surrounding area."

"Well, I hope your travels are safe," Oliver finally said, grimacing a little, exaggerating it. "There's all that media coverage of the Hood and now there's a copycat."

Harry's eyes darkened a little before softening as he looked around at the mansion hall. "The way you guys celebrate Christmas reminds me of my boarding school growing up. Go all out for Christmas, bring out the trees and the mistletoe."

Oliver laughed and followed Harry's gaze, up to where presumably Thea had stashed some mistletoe. "Thank god Speedy isn't here. She'd probably force us together."

"Speedy?"

"Thea, my sister."

"Ah. Well, it was nice to meet you," Harry said, smiling a little, subtle heat in his eyes.

Oliver was about to turn, to head over to talk to Laurel and Tommy when Harry reached out. The guy's fingers curled around Oliver's right shoulder, bringing his movements to a halt, making him freeze. Harry immediately pulled back his hand at the look on Oliver's face, the guy's face going pale.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," Harry said, taking a step back. "Just wanted to ask if you wanted to grab a drink with me later, after the party."

"I have… other arrangements," Oliver spoke, putting as much old Oliver into his voice as possible. He had a copycat archer to bring down and his mother probably would want to take photos and his sister would want to share candy canes and… It was so normal that he wanted… He needed to… And on the other hand… He wanted normal. He wanted normal so fucking much that it hurt.

"Hot date?" Harry asked, smiling a little.

"Something like that."

"Alright. Maybe another time then. I'm sticking around for another few days."

"Moira, is there anything I can do to help?" Draco was saying, taking another worried glance at Harry, seeing his friend standing next to him. He could see how pale Harry's face was, see the way Harry's fingers were clenching, as if they wanted to be curled around a wand right now. The pale light of the moon made Harry look even worse, if that was possible. The last time Draco had seen Harry this pale was back in their sixth year, when they had faced off against each other in the bathroom.

"My son has been in a car accident," Moira stated, steel in her voice as her husband and daughter got ready to go to the hospital. "If you don't mind waiting until the morning to talk…"

"Of course. Go."

Moira nodded and Draco shook her hand before urging Harry out. As soon as they were out of hearing range and sight range, he pulled Harry to a stop. His friend had a dazed look on his face, one that had become familiar to him throughout the years.

"Your soulmate?"

"Yeah." Harry let out a noise and then swore, pulling out that phone that he had bought a couple months ago. Draco heard the Queens get into their limo and drive off behind them while Harry was tapping away. Draco had no idea what Harry was doing and nor could he follow the fast movements of his fingers.

"You know that Hood guy that's been all over the media here?"

"Yes. What does that have to do with your soulmate?"

"There's a copycat archer that's been running around this week. The copycat took hostages tonight," Harry offered finally, flipping up the phone to show Draco.

He scrolled through the news headlines visible and then peered up at Harry, who lifted an eyebrow. Harry bit his lip in clear hesitation. "My soulmate was shot with two arrows in his back."

"Okay. Then it was one of the hostages," Draco remarked, narrowing his eyes at the look in Harry's eyes. "Or it's the copycat archer."

"None of the hostages were injured, Draco," Harry muttered, his eyes flashing with heat. Sometimes people never found their soulmates and even if you did, sometimes… it didn't work. "My soulmate keeps on getting badly injured and I want to know why."

"Potter…"

Harry frowned and then gazed over at the Queen mansion behind them. "Or it's their son."

"Harry, their son was in a car accident. I suppose that's a normal thing that happens to muggles."

"Right at this time? Don't you think it's a little suspicious? The injuries I felt were not from a car accident. And I read the papers. A certain Hood fellow started making the headlines right around the time that Queen came back from that island of his."

Draco huffed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. "Fine. Go."

"I was going to go regardless of what you thought, Malfoy."

Draco snorted and Harry cheekily saluted him.

"I guess there is only one way to figure it out anyway," Harry offered before disapparating on the spot.

Draco swore and hoped that no one had seen Harry do that.

Harry waited outside the hospital room under his cloak until Moira Queen, her daughter and her husband left the room. Their son's bodyguard though… didn't leave, only staying at the door of the room, standing guard. Harry waited for a minute or two before uncloaking himself in a corner of the hospital and walking over to stop in front of the big guy.

"May I go in and see him?" Harry asked, his eyes drawn to the window in the door that let him see the guy who was possibly his soulmate.

"Who are you?"

"I'm a friend," Harry offered quietly, his blood thrumming in his body, his heart skipping several beats at the possible thought that Oliver Queen was his soulmate.

The guy… bodyguard… stared at him, lifting an eyebrow. "I've never seen you before except at the party tonight."

Harry rocked back on the heels of his feet before sighing, weighing the consequences of telling this man what he only guessed to be true. His soulmate was either Oliver Queen or it was the copycat archer. He hoped it was Oliver. After having met the man at the party, he hoped it was. "I think I might be his soulmate."

The guy stilled, his eyes suddenly glued to Harry's as he looked him over.

"I felt someone get hurt tonight," Harry added, putting some steel in his voice and then lowering his voice. "Two arrows in his back, broken arm, possibly… collapsed lung, judging by what I felt."

The guy's eyes darkened and then visibly softened, nudging the door open behind him. "Go ahead. I will kick you out if you make him get out of bed or agitate him further."

"Duly noted."

Harry nodded and stepped past the guy, taking in the sight of Oliver Queen in a hospital bed. The man was pale but didn't have any visible wires attached to him, no oxygen mask over his face. There were however bags underneath his eyes and his whole body seemed to curl inward at the sight of him, apprehension radiating outward. His short dark hair was ruffled as if it was helmet hair… or hood hair.

"Who…" Oliver trailed, his eyes narrowing. "Harry?"

Harry paused at the foot of his bed, spared a glance out the window on the other side of the room, and then walked over to the side of the bed. Oliver followed his every movement, his fingers curling into the sheet beneath him, ready to do something.

"Your bodyguard knows I'm here," Harry started, meeting Oliver's dull blue eyes. Exhaustion was in every ounce of Oliver's body, or at least from what Harry could see. "I'm not going to hurt you anyway."

"Why are you here?" Oliver questioned, his eyes flashing with confusion. "Who are you really?"

Harry's lips twitched at Oliver's quick thinking. "When you were 13… did you feel something like paralysis? It would have been in the summer, after July 31st, around Halloween."

Oliver blinked at the question but stayed silent. Harry could see a spark of something in his eyes, a flicker here and there and then swiftly hidden.

"And again a year later… I broke my left leg going after a rogue werewolf. And then after that… the goblins had a minor civil war. I got caught in between the factions."

Oliver sucked in a sharp breath at the words and then looked Harry over, giving him a slow once over, stopping on the scar on his forehead, on his right shoulder. On his chest, right where Voldemort had cast the second killing curse. There was so much in that look that it made Harry let out a strangled breath, as warmth blossomed in his chest.

"I…" Oliver paused on a shaky breath, his skin paling even more. "You're… You're my soulmate?"

"I think so."

Oliver shuddered and flinched as he looked away, out the window. "I never…"

Harry watched as he reached up to rub the back of his neck.

"Then you've felt…" Oliver visibly swallowed and turned back to look at Harry, eyes so full of desperation and hurt and longing and… Harry swore under his breath and crooked a finger behind him, hearing the chair in the corner slide over to him. He plopped down onto the chair and slowly reached out, slipping his fingers into Oliver's closest hand.

Oliver flinched again and tried to pull away only for Harry to hold on, squeezing a little bit.

"Oliver. What's going on?" Harry asked quietly, meeting the man's eyes steadily. "You took two arrows to the back tonight. I want to know why."

A low pained sound left Oliver's throat, probably unconsciously, and he shook his head.

"Is there a way… to cut it?" Oliver questioned, voice utterly wrecked and not in the good way.

Harry winced at the sound of it. "Cut what?"

"The… soulmate bond?"

Harry froze even as he could hear ringing in his ears, as his blood roared, as his heart stopped at the mere thought and then swallowed. "Oliver. No. I can handle it. I fought in a war between the ages of 14 and 17. I know what it's like. I am glad that you weren't old enough to feel what I went through, okay? I am so fucking glad. But now?"

Harry squeezed Oliver's fingers again and watched as he glanced down at their entwined hands. "I want to get to know you. I want to get to know your family. I want to know why you have a bodyguard. I want you."

Tears pooled in Oliver's eyes at Harry's words and he tentatively, very tentatively squeezed back, rubbing his thumb over Oliver's wrist, feeling Oliver's pulse speeding away.

"I'm here, okay? I'll even heal you up if you like."

Oliver twitched and blinked, rubbing away the tears in his eyes quickly. "What are you?"

"I'm your friendly neighborhood wizard."

Oliver snorted, his bloodshot eyes widening a little. "I want to get to know you too."

Harry smiled and Oliver matched it with one of his own, faint but there.